wildfire

[wahyld-fahy^uhr]

noun

1. any large fire in brush, forests, or open spaces that spreads rapidly and is hard to extinguish.

2. a highly flammable composition, such as Greek fire, difficult to extinguish when ignited, formerly used in warfare.

3. sheet lightning, unaccompanied by thunder.

4. the ignis fatuus or a similar light.

5. Plant Pathology.,  a disease of tobacco and soybeans, characterized by brown, necrotic spots, each surrounded by a yellow band, on the leaves and caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas tabaci.

6. Pathology Obsolete.,  erysipelas or some similar disease.

wildfire

/ ˈwaɪldˌfaɪə /

noun

1. a highly flammable material, such as Greek fire, formerly used in warfare

2. 1. a raging and uncontrollable fire

   2. anything that is disseminated quickly (esp in the phrase spread like wildfire )

3. lightning without audible thunder

4. another name for will-o'-the-wisp

Word History and Origins

Origin of wildfire¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English wildefire, Old English wildfȳr; equivalent to wild + fire

Idioms and Phrases

see spread like wildfire.

Example Sentences

Recent rains have left soil and new vegetation wet, diminishing the threat of wildfire stoked by wind.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In ecologically sensitive parts of the park, called “avoidance areas,” a “Natural Resource Advisor must be consulted during wildfire suppression planning and response.”

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"Rising temperatures, frequent and intense droughts, floods, heatwaves, and wildfires increasingly threaten the country's future growth, environment, and public health," the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said in a report.

Read more on Barron's

"When there's a wildfire, they will deploy helicopters and drop water bombs, but why is there no such deployment and how can they leave other buildings burning?"

Read more on BBC

The crew’s 26 recruits, who are trained in wildfire fighting and management, establish fire lines to stop flames from spreading.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blaze 
• conflagration 
• flare 
• flash 
• light 
• spark